Street-raslway car



No. 622,656 Patented Apr. II, 1899.

E. G. ALLEN.

STREET RAILWAY GAR.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1898.) (No Model.) sh ts-s e r l.

xgfifesf Patented Apr. II, I899.

E. G. ALLEN.

STREET RAILWAY CAR.

no. 622,656. Patented Apr. 1|, I899.

' E. a. ALLEN.

STREET RAILWAY CAR.

(Application filed Mar. 17. 1898 5 Shaets8heet 31.

W0 Moduli) Patented Apr. 11, I899.

G. ALLEN. STREET RAILWAY CAR.

(Application filed. Mar. 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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No." 622,656. v Patented A r. u, I899. a. a. ALLEN.

STREET RAILWAY GAR.

- (Application filed Mar. 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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- %@MW%X Th irs STATES Enron.

PATEN STREET-RAILWAY CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,656, dated April11, 1899. Application filed March 17, 1898. 7 Serial No. 674,214. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE GERRY AL- LEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStreet-Railway Cars, of which the following is a specification.-

In the management of street and suburban railways it is necessary, asthe cars in use are constructed, to provide two equipments namely, a setof closed cars for winter and stormy weather and open cars for summerand pleasant weather-and it is specially annoying and expensive tochange from one form of car to the other, as is very often required inthe fall and spring of the year when the day begins cold and turns outWarm, or vice versa, and it is a matter of great discomfort to thepassengers to sit in an open car when the weather turns suddenly coldbefore the end of the trip is reached or to sit in a hot closed car whenthe weather changes from cold to warm. The cost of two equip ments isvery great to the railway companies, and it is a matter of seriousanxiety to know whether at the beginning of the day closed cars or opencars shall be run. A further difficulty exists in connection with theopen or summer cars by reason of the runningboard, which extendslengthwise of the car on each side, as, while these boards are primarilyintended simply to serve as a step to reach the floor of the car, it isimpossible to prevent passengers when the cars are crowded from standingupon the boards and making the trip in this exposed and dangerousposition. Indeed, most of the accidents which occur are due to fallsfrom the running-board by reason of the rapid running of the cars andespecially in rounding sharp curves or in meeting with obstructions.

It has been my aim in the present invention toprovide a car which may beused with equal facility and comfort in all seasons and which may bereadily changed from a closed to an open car, or vice versa, thusreducing the equipment one-half and making it pos-' sible to meet allemergencies with the one set of cars. This is not only very important inthe matter of expense in the cost of the equipment, but is material inreducing the main.- tenance, and, further, it provides a car whichperfectly fills the needs of the passengers and enables them to ridecomfortably and to provide against any sudden changes in the weather.

Another object of the invention is to dis pense entirely with theobjectionable and dangerous running-board, and in view thereof Isubstitute a swinging step which is in proper position, ready for usewhen the doors of the car are open but which are swung under the car outof 'the way when the doors are closed, thus rendering it impossible forany one to stand upon them or to ride upon the car in an exposed anddangerous position.

A further object is to render it possible to utilize the full width ofthe car-body for seats and to enable the conductor to collect the faresfrom a position above the seats, thus rendering unnecessary an aisle orpassage longitudinally of the car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the car,showing some of the doors closed and some open. Fig. 2 is an end view ofthe car. Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the means for closing andlocking the doors. Fig. 4 is a plan view in section of one end of thecar. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged details showing the operatingconnections to the doors and steps.

As shown in Fig. 1, I make the car after the manner of an ordinarysummer-car, with the seats extending from side to side; but instead ofhaving an open car at the sides or only closed in by curtains, as isordinarily the case, I close the openings by doors A, these doors beingpreferably arranged in pairs for each opening, the lower portions orpanels being preferably solid, while the upper halves of the doors areprovided with sliding glass panels adapted to be lowered into spaces inthe lower solid panels when it is desired to have an open or summer carand to be raised to close the open panels when the state of the weatherrequires this to be done. The lower solid panel serves as a protectioneven in summer-time,

while the open panels above allow ample ventilation, and at the sametime the movable panels are under control to be raised or lowcred, asmay be found desirable.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, I close in the ends of the car with solidlower panels and glass panels above, these glass panels being alsoadapted to be raised or lowered to provide perfect ventilation. Thecentral window B, I divide into three panels, the center one of which,a, may be hinged and under the control of the motorman to be opened orclosed, as he may desire. The motorman in this construction is as fullyprotected as the passengers, and the car is open from end to end,

there being but a low partition I) dividing the end section of the carfrom the body, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In arranging the seats I provide sufficient space between the back ofone and the seat portion of the next in order to allow, when the car iscrowded and all the seats are occupied, for standing room between theseats, and in order to give support to those who may be standing Iextend rods from end to end at the back of each seat at top and bottom,the lower rods being used when the backs are reversed.

In order to provide for easy ingress and I egress from the car, I havearranged a double step, one for each door, and these steps are adaptedto swing outwardly from beneath the car and to come together when thedoors are open to make a broad step between the floor of the car and theground. As shown in Fig. 1, the steps are beneath the car out of the waywhen the doors are closed, and when the doors are open they occupy aposition at right angles and are ready to be utilized by the passengers.The steps are arranged in pairs, one for each door, and move in unisonwith the movement of the doors, and this movement is effected by.connecting the steps together and providing connections between thesteps and the doors and with other connections from these parts to theposition of the motorman, so that should the doors be left open by thepassenger the motorman without leaving his position will be enabled to.close and lock them, and the operating connections are such as to permitall the doors upon one side which may be open to be closed at oneoperation. Each step of the pair is composed of a lower horizontal part(Z and riser e and a second horizontal part f, and from the part f thepassenger steps to the platform g of the car. Each step, at the rear, isprovided with sockets 7t, fitting a bearing pinor projection iandadapted to turn in horizontal plane thereon. The socket parts areprovided with teeth constituting the segment of a circle, as at k, andthese teeth mesh, so as to make the'movement of the two steps uniformand in unison. From the socket 71. extend projecting arms Z, and thesearms are connected to the doors by rods m, the ends of these rods beingbent at right angles in opposite directions to the body of the rod, oneend fitting a recess in the bottom of the door and the other end fittingan opening in the projections Z. It will thus be seen that a positiveconnection is formed between the doors and steps of each opening, and asthe doors are opened the projections Z are drawn upon to move the stepsoutwardly into contact with each other, as shown in the lefthand part ofFig. 1 and in plan View, Fig. 6. The parts are secured to theunder faceof the sill of the car, as shown in Fig. 5, and I utilize the nuts onthe ends of bolts passing into the sill as stops for the projections Zin their two positions, the nuts 2 serving as stops against which theprojections abut when the doors are open, and when the doors are closedand the projections are a quarter turned to the rear they abut againstthe nuts 3, and thus a firm support is furnished the parts in bothpositions. As shown in Fig. 6, the tread of each step is made narrow andreally constitutes but half of the full step, as when the doors are openthe steps come together, as shown, and form a broad tread. I prefer tohave the doors of each opening capable of being opened by the passenger,though each pair of doors work in unison, and-upon operating one doorthe companion door will also open or close. As it is likely, however,that passengers in hastily entering or leaving the car will permit thedoors to stand open, it is desirable that the closing of the doors beunder the control of the motorman, so that before the car starts he mayeasily and quickly shut all the doors which may have been left open, andin order to accomplish this by one operation I have devised a verysimple mechanism, which I have illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. Ahand-lever 4 is connected through a segment 5 and a crossed cable 6 witha wheel or pulley 7, this pulley being secured to the end of a shaft 8,which extends the full length of the car beneath the fioor. This shaftis suitably supported in brackets 9, extending out from the position ofeach pair of steps. The shaft 8 turns freely in the bracket-supports;but secured to the shaft 8, intermediate of the arms of the brackets9,is an open frame 10, and this frame moves with the shaft, being rigidlysecured thereto. Between the ends of this frame 10 is a weight 11,loosely mounted on the shaft and with its upper end enlarged, as shownin the figures mentioned, and this enlarged end rests normally upon theouter part of the frame 10. The lower end of the weight extends belowits pivotal point, where it is provided with a cross-piece 12, havingeyes 13 at each end, and these eyes are engaged by links 14:, whichextend to eyes 15 on the under side of the projections Z. Now it will beseen that on the turning of the shaft 8 the frame 10 will lift theweight 11, and it will be caused to turn upon its pivot to the oppositeside of the shaft 8, and this will draw upon the said projections andhave the effect of closing the doors and moving the steps back beneaththe car-sill. ment of the shaft is sufficient to close all the doorsthat may be open, and by reason of independent action through theweights the movement of the lever is without effect upon the doors thatare already closed. The eye connections between the lower end of theweight and the projections Z give sufficient One movefreedom of movementto prevent binding in the tilting of the weight from one position to theother. I arrange a like mechanism upon the opposite side of the car toclose the doors upon that side.

I have also aimed to prevent the opening of the doors while the car isin motion, and to this end I arrange a simple locking means, also underthe control of the motorman, by which the doors may be locked in theirclosed position and kept locked until released by the motorman. Toaccomplish this, I provide a second shaft or rod 16, extendinglengthwise of the car and also supported in the brackets 9, preferablybetween the shaft 8 and the sill of the car. This rod carries justwithin the line of the brackets projections 17, rigidly secured to therod 16, and the rod is manipulated to turn these projections into ahorizontal or vertical position to unlock or look the operatingmechanism of the doors by a hand-lever 18, connected with the rod 16through a vertically extending connectingrod 19. After the doors areclosed and the projections Z are swung around into the position shown atthe right of Fig. 3 the lever 18 is depressed, and the effect is to turnthe rod 16 and to move the projections 17 into a vertical position incontact with the outer edge of the projections Z,thus preventing theirmovement and holding the doors closed.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to a pair of doors, asone wide one may be used instead of the pair and one step instead of thetwo steps 5 but I prefer the construction described.

The advantage of a running board has been that it permits the entirewidth of the car for the seating of the passengers and rendersunnecessary any longitudinal passage or aisle, the conductor passingfrom one seat to the other through the medium of the running-board. Isecure the same result by dispensing with the running-board andproviding a carrier for the conductor supported in the monitor of thecar, this carrier being capable of movement from end to end and adaptedto be occupied by the conductor and to allow him to pass over the headsof the passengers to collect the fare. This is principally shown inFigs. 1 and 3, the monitor of the car being shown at c, and within thisbrackets n extend, of angular shape, these brackets supporting rails 0.The carrier is mounted upon wheelsp, having a groove and arubber-covered tread, the rear wheels being connected by a straight axleq, while the front wheels are connected by a bent axle 1, which extendsdownwardly to form a support for the fioor of the carrier. This floor orseat is shown at the left of Fig. 1, is pivotally supported at the pointt, and has afoot-piece u extending at right angles to the seat 8.Horizontal brace rods 7; connect the front and rear wheels, and angularbraces extend from the rear wheels to the point t, as shown at w.Downwardly-extending side supports w connect the wheels with the rear ofthe seats, and these supports are slotted, as shown, so that theconductor can readily swing the floor of the carrier into the positionshown in dotted lines to the left of Fig. 1, step upon the footboard,and then swing the floor 5 into the position shown in full lines, afterwhich he may draw himself along through the car and collect the farefrom the passengers. I do not wish to .be understood to limit myself inthis connection, as I may arrange the seats in any improved orwell-known manner to leave an aisle, so as to allow the conductor tocollect fare in the ordinary way, as the im provem ents heretoforedescribed are obviously equally as well adapted to cars having aisles asto cars having an overhead carrier for the conductor, as has just beendescribed.

I claim 1. A railway-car having a series of open-= in gs in its sides, aseries of doors closing said openings, a step for each door connectedand moving wit-h the door and means under the control of the motormanfor closing the doors upon each side at one operation, substantially asdescribed. I

2. A railway-car having a series of openings in its sides, a series ofdoors closing said openings, said doors being arranged in pairs, a pairof steps connected together and to the doors whereby in the opening ofthe doors the steps are moved outwardly into contact to make broadtreads and in the closing of the doors are moved inwardly in oppositedirections beneath the car and out of the way.

3. A railway-car having a series of openings in its sides, a series ofdoors closing said openings, steps connected and moving with the doorsmeans for closing the doors and means for locking the doors closed, saidclosing and locking means being under the control of the motorman,substantially as described.

4-. A railway-car having a series of openings in its sides, a series ofdoors closing said openings, a series of steps connected to and movingwith the doors, a single rod extend" ing lengthwise of the car on eachside, a le ver for operating the red at the end of the car andconnections operated by said rod for closing the doors, substantially asdescribed.

' 5. In a railway-car a pair of doorsand a step for each door, said stepportions being geared together, connections between the doors and thesteps, a weight for closing the doors and moving back the steps, andmeans for operating the weight, substantially as described.

6. In a railway-car, a series. of doors arranged in pairs, independentmeans for closing the doors of each pair, and means common to all thedoors for operating the actuating devices of each pair of doors,substan= tially as described.

7. In a railway-car, a series of doors, means for closing said doorsunder the control of the motorman, a rod extending lengthwise of the caron each side and independent of the means IIO for closing the doors,said rod carrying locking means to hold the doors closed and means foractuating said rod, substantially as described.

8. In a railway-car, a series of laterally-extending seats and a carrierfor the conductor adapted to traverse the upper part of the car from endto end, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a car having its seats extending from side toside, a series of doors with steps connected therewith and a carrier forthe conductor with a track for said carrier located in the upper part ofthe car, substantially as described.

10. In combination, in a railway-car with a series oflaterally-extending seats, a carrier for the conductor, said carrierrunning upon rails and having a tilting portion adapted to allow easyaccess to the carrier, substantially as described.

11. In combination in a car, of a series of doors in the side thereofcapable of being opened freely, and means common to all the doors uponeach side for closing said doors from the position of the operator,substantially as described.

12. In combination with a car, the series of steps movable laterally atthe side of the car and capable of independent action with means forfolding the said steps inwardly controlled from one point on the car,substantially as described.

13. In combination with a car, a step made up of sections adapted tofold toward and from each other to make a complete step or to fold outof the Way with means for operating the said sections, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBRIDGE GERRY ALLEN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. MARTIN, GEORGE A. SNOW.

